Wet or Dry Carpet Cleaning-That is the question!

Written by Johnny Loggins, Owner of Clene Start- A Carpet Cleaning Company.  Johnny has been in the floor care industry for over 30 years.  He has researched, reviewed, and tested many different methods and products for efficiency.

There has been a long standing debate in the carpet cleaning industry on what process works best.  We at Clene Start have the ability and know how to properly determine which process will work best for your carpet.  Depending on the circumstances, one cleaning process is not superior to the other; it’s just different.   Each carpet cleaning technique has advantages and disadvantages that should be considered.

The Hot Water Extraction method is pretty much like what your washing machine does.  For example, when you do your laundry, the first thing you might do is empty pockets, shake off any loose dirt, apply a pre-wash treatment like Shout or Spray ‘n’ Wash and agitate or rub the fabric together with your hands, then wash the clothes.  The washing machine agitates, spins and rinses the clothes and then they are ready for drying.  The Hot water extraction process is exactly like this.  Clene Start uses a soap-free cleaning agent so that there is never any residue left in the carpet.

The dry carpet cleaning methods are a little more complicated in that there are several of them.  Let’s talk about the difference.

The first cleaning process may use a white type of powder that looks like Carpet Fresh sprinkled on the carpet then vacuumed out.  Although this can remove some dirt, it is not effective for stain removal.

The Host system, which started out using corncobs, now uses a ground up synthetic material soaked in solvent & soap.  This product is sprinkled on the carpet, agitated in, and vacuumed out.

The next method is a dry shampoo lathered into the carpet, using carbonated water similar to a soda fountain.

Another method uses an orange-extract solvent mixed with a surfactant or soap.  This is applied to the carpet with a buffer and allowed to dry.  In theory, most of these types of chemicals would be vacuumed out later.  Soap, shampoo, or any dry absorbent powders will remain and will always have the ability to attract dirt even drying.

Clene Start’s Dry Encapsulation uses the latest technology to produce a much superior job.  We remove the dirt with a dry vacuum; apply encapsulating material agitating it into the fibers. All of the dirt and soil are encapsulated and it can no longer adhere to the carpet.  The encapsulating material dries to a crystal clear and then it is removed by the next vacuuming.   The carpet will be dry in as little as 30 minutes to an hour.  Of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at Clene Start!

Clene Start can be reached at 770.887.3085